"Foreign Airlines Mostly Allow It"... Why Domestic Airlines Are Reluctant About Wi-Fi

Foreign Airlines First Introduced In-Flight Wi-Fi in 2004
Domestic Travel Agencies Show Cautious Attitude After Failed Adoption

Recently, while most foreign airlines support in-flight Wi-Fi, domestic airlines still show a passive attitude toward the service, leading to a growing service gap.

In-flight Wi-Fi is a technology that enables internet use by installing satellite data reception devices on aircraft where electronic device usage is prohibited for safety reasons.

Foreign airlines have long provided in-flight Wi-Fi services. The first to offer in-flight Wi-Fi was Lufthansa, the national airline of Germany. Lufthansa introduced the world's first in-flight Wi-Fi service in 2004, followed by Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, and others, who also began offering in-flight Wi-Fi services.

In response, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines also implemented in-flight Wi-Fi services in 2005 through Connection by Boeing (CBB), a subsidiary of Boeing, keeping up with the times. Although the service was ambitiously launched, passenger demand was lower than expected at the time, and eventually, with CBB's withdrawal, the in-flight Wi-Fi service naturally ended.

Wi-Fi Service Shows Low Demand Due to Paid Model, Will It Finally Take Root This Time?

Domestic airlines have been reluctant to introduce Wi-Fi services unlike foreign airlines due to past failures in service establishment. Since in-flight Wi-Fi service was discontinued after just one year due to low demand and slow internet speeds, they remain cautious about reintroducing it.

However, as passenger demand for Wi-Fi services grew, Asiana Airlines reintroduced in-flight Wi-Fi in May 2017 by introducing the A350-900 aircraft deployed on long-haul routes. Currently, Wi-Fi usage prices are $11.95 for 1 hour, $16.95 for 3 hours, and $21.95 for unlimited access.

Later, in 2021, Air Premia, a hybrid (HSC) airline, entered as a latecomer. Passengers can purchase and use paid data plans onboard, consisting of four types: ▲e-Text (30MB), ▲e-Light (60MB), ▲e-Standard (120MB), and ▲e-Flex (300MB).

Korean Air has been providing international in-flight Wi-Fi services on short- and medium-haul international routes operated by Boeing B737-8 and Airbus A321-neo aircraft since June this year. The airline plans to expand the service to various aircraft types and all international routes in the future.

Jin Air, a subsidiary of Korean Air, completed registration as a telecommunications service provider with the Ministry of Science and ICT in July last year. However, other licensing procedures and tests remain pending.